Cleaning structure for revolvable pads of floor maintenance equipment

ABSTRACT

A cleaning unit for the revolvable pads of floor maintenance equipment. Partitions maintain pads in predetermined positions in an appropriate fluid medium. An agitation unit in the form of an aerator, a circulating fluid pump, or an impeller is used to maintain fluid medium in some degree of agitation, and likewise to maintain in suspension the particulate matter, both dirt, waxes, chemicals, and other ingredients in suspension. In this way, the maximum cleaning power of the solution, such as a conventional floor-stripper-type cleaning solution, is utilized. The unit optionally includes a pad drying unit by which vertically constrained pads are allowed to drip dry, with or without the use of air-drying equipment. A suitable drain structure is provided.

United States Patent [1 1 Beesley 1 May 20, 1975 CLEANING STRUCTURE FORREVOLVABLE PADS OF FLOOR MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT [76] inventor: Merrill P.Beesley, 50 East 300 North, Salt Lake City, Utah 84054 [22] Filed: Aug.2, I973 21 Appl. No.: 384,967

2,651,191 9/1953 Barnes 68/183 2,663,178 12/1953 Schwartz.... 68/1832,713,347 7/1955 Hazy 134/186 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 14,1906/1911 United Kingdom 68/183 Primary Examiner-Harvey C. lHomsbyAssistant Examiner-C. K. Moore [57] ABSTRACT A cleaning unit for therevolvable pads of floor maintenance equipment. Partitions maintain padsin predetermined positions in an appropriate fluid medium. An agitationunit in the form of an aerator, a circulating fluid pump, or an impelleris used to maintain fluid medium in some degree of agitation, andlikewise to maintain in suspension the particulate matter, both dirt,waxes, chemicals, and other ingredients in suspension. In this way, themaximum cleaning power of the solution, such as a conventionalfloor-stripper-type cleaning solution, is utilized. The unit optionallyincludes a pad drying unit by which vertically constrained pads areallowed to drip dry, with or without the use of air-drying equipment. Asuitable drain structure is provided.

1 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures PATENIEDmzmws R 884, 250

SHEET 2 0F 2 m m m m m m m m mom m m m CLEANING STRUCTURE FOR REVOLVABLEPADS OF FLOOR MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT The present invention relates tofloor maintenance equipment and, more particularly, to structure forcleaning floor pads of any degree of coarseness and intended use, thisis an appropriate chemical medium.

In the invention, the chemical medium utilized is maintained insuspension, together with any dirt or other particulate matter, suchthat the maximum cleaning power of the cleaning solution is agitated maycomprise a pump, an impeller unit, or more desirably, an aerator similarto those used in marine tanks such as aquariums.

The cleaning unit may optionally be provided with a pad drying unitwhich receives the cleaning pads once they have been cleansed in thetank and properly rinsed: The drying unit may optionally include ablower or fan so as to aid the gravity drip-dry function.

The unit is designed for ease of use and satisfaction such that the padsmay be used over considerable peri. ods of time without replacement.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provideaunit designed to suitably receive and cleanse the cleaning and strippingpads, for example, associated with floor maintenance equipment.

An additional object of to provide tank structure suitable for receivingcleaning structure, such tank structure including cleansing fluidagitation means.

A further object is to provide floor pad cleaning structure, this incombination with a drying structure of cleaned pads after these arerinsed.

An additional object is to provide pad cleaning structure for floormaintenance pads wherein cleaning solutions to be contained therein willbe aerated or otherwise agitated so that a maximum cleaning power iseffected in conjunction with optimum suspension of materials therein.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. The presentinvention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view, partially broken away forconvenience of illustration, illustrating a pad cleaning structure aswell as a drying structure incorporating the basic principles of theinvention in a preferred embodiment thereof.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded view of a certain cornerstructure of the tank in FIG. 1 wherein the same incorporates airpassageway means for an aerator unit, when used.

FIG. 3 is a transverse, horizontal section taken on the line 33 in FIG.2.

FIG. 4 is an elevation taking the form of a vertical longitudinalsection of the equipment of FIG. I, illustrating implacement of padswithin the unit for cleaning I and drying purposes.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan taken on the line 5-5 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation taken on the line 6-6 inFIG. 1, illustrating a representative attachment of the agitation unitto the tank, this where the unit comprises an aerator.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, but illustrates the unit attachingto the tank as comprising a fluid pump, having inlets and outlets asindicated by the arrow shown.

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7 but illustrates the unit attaching to thetank as comprising an impeller unit having a conventional propeller typeimpeller.

In FIG. 1, tank 10 is shown to include four vertical corners C a pair ofsides 11 and 12, likewise a pair of ends 13 and 14. The tank, of course,includes a bottom 15, the latter being provided with drain 16 that isconnected by a conduit 17 and through manual drain valve 18 to draintube 19.

The tank 10 includes a series of vertical, horizontally spacedpartitions 20 defining receiving slots or spaces 21. These are for thepurpose of receiving a series of vertically disposed pads P which are tobe subject to cleaning.

Partitions 20 may be disposed in corresponding slots 22 and 23, arrangedin respective multiplicities as shown in FIG. 1. Circulating oragitating unit'24 is attached to tank 10 by brackets, screws, or othersuitable means and includes electrical conduit 25. Agitating unit 24 maytake the form of a circulating water pump, an impeller unit, or moregenerally, an aerator similar to aerators used in aquariums. Whereagitating unit 24 comprises an aerator, then the same may, of course,include the usual tube that descends over the top of the tank, such thatthe air-emitting end is disposed at the bottom of the tank. Tofacilitate an integral design not requiring a tube, there may beprovided an integral partition 26, see FIG. -2, as well as across-partition 27 forming passageways 28 and 29. Thus, air from unit 24will proceed upwardly in the direction of arrows A by a passageway 28and descend by arrows B by a passageway 29 such that the air will comeout into the tank at aperature '30. Where the aerator has sufficient,airexpulsion power, then bubbles will proceed through the entire tankarea so as to tend to keep the cleaning medium, as welljasany entrainedsolids, in suspension. This materially aids the cleaning of pads P. Sofar as a solution of cleaning the floor pads P, the same may compriseany floor stripper solution such as manufactured under the nameScotc'hbright by the 3 M Company of the United States, or by otherdomestic companies such as Madison Corporation and Magic ChemicalCompany. The type of stripping or cleaning solution used forms no partof the present invention. What is important is that the fluid medium becirculated as by a pump, or aeration of the solution so as to keep dirtand other entrained solids in suspension, this as well as chemicalswithin the solution. To achieve the same, the pads may either besuspended above the bottom 15, of tank 10, see FIG. 4, or the individualpartitions 20 may be provided with multiplicities of apertures 31serving as passageways for the circulating medium as the same iscirculated by the pumping means or agitated an impeller or by theaeration means comprising unit 24 in FIG. 1.

To complete the air circulation path, there may be provided a gasket 32and a cover 33, these being securely in place by machine screws 34.

Optionally disposed meaning the tank 10, is a drying unit 35. The sameincludes sides 36 and 37 and mutually spaced partitions 38, two of whichare respectively identified. These partitions may rest or nestle inslots 39 and 40 provided therefore.

The bottom of drawing unit 35 comprises a tray 41 having a series oflegs 42 as indicated. The tray 41 includes, of course, includes thesides 43 and ends 44 as well as bottom 45. Dispose over the tray is ascreen 46 upon which pads to be dried rest.

Drawing unit 35 may be connected to tank by a series of spacer legs 49,and back 50 may be provided unit 35 so as to retain pads to be dried inplace.

Pan 41 includes a drain valve 52 as well as drain 53.

If desired, a drying fan 54, shown in dotted line configuration in FIG.1 may be mounted to the underside of tank 10 such that a downdraftstream of air will be generated relative to the drying pads P. In lieuof this downdraft-producing structure, there may be provided a fan andmotor combination 56, mounted by attachments 57 as seen in FIG. 4, forproviding an essentially horizontal drying pattern relative to pads P.

Partitions 38 need only extend part way relative to the girth of theindividual pads, see FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates an enlarged fragmentary view. The circulating unit24. Again, this may be used for'supplying air as indicated in FIG. 1, ormay simply comprise a pump 24A as shown in FIG. 7, or simply a powerdriven impeller 24B as seen in FIG. 8. The essential point is that thefluid medium M be either circulated, agitated, or conditioned as byaeration such that the particular matter may be held in suspension and aslight agitation produced.

Of course, in lieu of the integral, air passageway structure is shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, there may be provided a conventional aerator tube inconnection with unit 24in FIG. 1.

In operation, the tank 10 is pre-filled with water with suitablechemicals and/or solution suitable for cleansing or stripping the padsto be vertically inserted in the tank. Maintenance personnel may usetheir floor waxing, scrubbing, and polishing machines until the samebecome clogged, at which time the pads are inserted vertically into thetank between partitions 20, that is, in the spaces 21. Once the pads areinserted, the agitation unit 24 is turned on so as toprovide therequisite agitation to effect an optimum cleansing of the pads by thesolution. This is produced not only by a tendency of the solution tocirculate, but, more importantly, retains the chemicals in the solutionand/or suspension, together with other particulate matter, such that amaximum flaking or disolving off of particulate matter from the pads Pis achieved. Again, this can be done either by incorporating theimpeller unit in FIG. 8, of the circulating pump of FIG. 7, or simplythe aerator of FIGS. 1 and 6. Thus, unit 24 may take anyone of thesethree forms. Preferably, however, the aerator unit will be used sincepumps of the inexpensive variety tend to clog in the presence of largepercentages of particulate matter in solutions; furthermore, should animpeller be used rather large size would be required in order to effectthe requisite agitation needed for all compartments.

In any event, whatever unit is used, the pads remain until they areessentially cleansed, at which time they are withdrawn vertically fromthe tank and rinsed in a conventional tub. At this point the pads areinserted horizontally into drying unit 35 so as to drip dryinto a pan41. Where desired, an air stream may provide as by fan unit 54 in FIG. 1or fan unit'56 in FIG. 4. It is noted that the screen provides for thesupport of the pads, see screen 48 in FIGS. 1 and 5, while allowingwater to drip from the pads and collect into the pan and be dispensed bydrain 53.

The present invention satisfies a marked need in the maintenanceindustry to have the unit for cleaning these pads so that they can bereused, whether for waxing, scrubbing, stripping, or for other purposes.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in theappended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for washing the pads of floor maintenanceequipment, saidapparatus including, in combination, a rectangular tank having anenclosure providetl with a bottom, four vertical corners, andconstructed to receive a cleaning liquid, a selected corner of said tankhaving a diagonal corner partition and a cross partition essentiallynormal thereto and defining an inverted U air passageway terminating ina bottom air outlet orifice, and a plate sealed over said cornerpartition and spaced from said cross partition to complete medially suchinverted U air passageway, said passageway including upward initial anddownward final legs, a plurality of horizontally spaced, vertical Ipartitions disposed within said enclosure and defining thereto.

1. Apparatus for washing the pads of floor maintenance equipment, saidapparatus including, in combination, a rectangular tank having anenclosure provided with a bottom, four vertical corners, and constructedto receive a cleaning liquid, a selected corner of said tank having adiagonal corner partition and a cross partition essentially normalthereto and defining an inverted U air passageway terminating in abottom air outlet orifice, and a plate sealed over said corner partitionand spaced from said cross partition to complete medially such invertedU air passageway, said passageway including upward initial and downwardfinal legs, a plurality of horizontally spaced, vertical partitionsdisposed within said enclosure and defining padreceiving spaces, aeratormeans, coupled to a side of said tank proximate said selected corner andcommunicating with said passageway at said initial leg, to introducepressured air proximate the bottom of said tank at said downward leg,for producing air-bubble turbulence within said tank at saidpadreceiving spaces to thereby maintain in solution and suspension anycleaning agent and particulate matter in said liquid, and means fordraining liquid from said tank coupled thereto.